Oedipus, The Story of the King of Thebes

The Mother of All Myths: Oedipus, The Story of the King of Thebes
The myth of Oedipus contains moral lessons about the dangers of tempting fate. It warns that fate cannot be neither challenged nor escaped. In doing so, the story is full of intrigue and revelation. Complete with blind prophets and deadly riddles, the tale of Oedipus’ life is not one to be missed.
Ancient Sources of Oedipus’ Myth
There are a number of sources from the 5th century BC which tell of Oedipus’ life. In this article, the most extensive ones have been combined in order to create the clearest picture of the myth possible. However, it is important to shed some light on these sources that provide the finer details as well.
In his first Olympian Ode , the Greek poet Pindar (518-438 BC) briefly covers some of the tale. He writes:
“In such a way does Fate, who keeps their pleasant fortune to be handed from father to son, bring at another time some painful reversal together with god-sent prosperity, since the destined son met and killed Laius, and fulfilled the oracle of Pytho, spoken long before. But the sharp-eyed Erinys saw it, and destroyed his warlike sons through mutual slaughter.” (Olympian One , 35)
Aeschylus’ Seven against Thebes was a trilogy of plays written in 467 BC, and is suspected to have been one of the most complete sources of Oedipus’ later life. The trilogy is made up of Laius, Oedipus and Seven against Thebes, but only the last one survives today. The latter records the war between Oedipus’ two sons Eteocles and Polynices.
Another of the most complete sources on Oedipus’ life is Sophocles’ The Three Theban Plays, another trilogy of plays written in the 4th century BC. This trilogy is made up of Oedipus Rex , Oedipus at Colonus and Antigone , all of which survive. However, rather than focusing on Oedipus’ life, these plays focus on the fate of Thebes during his reign.
In Euripides’ account ( Phoenissae), Oedipus’ story is told from the perspective of his birth mother Jocasta. This telling largely follows the same lines as Seven Against Thebes and Antigone, combining the major plot points of the two.
Combined with other, less complete sources of the myth from Homer, Hesiod, Pindar, Aeschylus, and Euripides can be used to create a more complete picture of Oedipus’ life
The Oedipus Myth
The tale begins with King Laius and Queen Jocasta of Thebes, who one day decided to consult the Oracle of Apollo at Delphi . The oracle declared that if Laius produced a son, that son would ultimately kill him. Laius did not heed the oracle’s warning, however, and the couple soon gave birth to a son.
Despite ignoring the warnings, Laius was still fearful of the prophecy coming true. To prevent this, he pierced his son's ankles and joined them together. Once this was done, and the infant was unable to crawl and eventually walk, Laius prepared to get rid of the child.
The couple passed their infant son to one of the servants and implored him to hide the baby out in the mountains where he would eventually perish. In some accounts he was cast into the sea, where he was eventually found by a fisherman. Somehow (accounts vary according to the source), Oedipus was eventually saved when he was rescued and taken to a nearby king who had no children of his own. In the account where he was abandoned on a mountain, he was often saved by a shepherd.
The king was named Polybus, and he ruled over Corinth with his wife, Queen Merope. The pair adopted the baby and named him Oedipus because of his swollen feet.
A Weighty Prophecy
Oedipus then grew up happily under the care of Polybus and his wife, never once questioning his true lineage. Eventually he was motivated to leave home. The cause of this differs from source to source. Some claim he went off to steal horses, others claim that he was insulted by someone who called him a bastard.
According to sources that tell the latter story, Oedipus was shaken by the insult and asked Polybus about it. Here again, accounts differ. In some, Polybus admitted the circumstances of his birth. In others, Oedipus traveled, rather ironically, to the same oracle his father had visited and asked the question. In this telling, the oracle warned Oedipus of the prophecy that he would eventually kill his father. Believing Polybus to be his birth father, Oedipus left Corinth, vowing to never return for fear the prophecy may be fulfilled.
The Crossroads of Fate
On his journey (either back to Corinth from the oracle, or while stealing horses, or on his way to Thebes depending on the account you read), Oedipus encountered an old man. The man was driving a chariot and taking up most of the road. Oedipus ordered the old man to move aside and allow him to pass.......